The concert had ended, yet adrenaline still thrummed throughout Jonghyun’s veins as he chatted with the back-up dancer that he had known the longest—Hyemi. Talking with her was always so easy, since there was no need for him to carve a mask of affability in front of her—if he was exhausted he could be exhausted, and if he was anxious he could be anxious. She had seen him at his worst and his best both before and after performances. It was comforting, in a way.

She was commenting on the nostalgic feeling of performing “She Is”, and Jonghyun was nodding, smiling with both of his lips wrapped around the straw of his honey drink. The evocative topic helped him wind down, the buzz in his body shifted into something warmer as he was reminded of how far he had come.

“Hyung!”

All too familiar voices called out to him and he instantly turned towards the sources. The curve of his lips grew wider, his teeth peeking out when he saw two of his fellow members walking towards him.

“Taemin-ah! Minho-ya!” Jonghyun called, waving his hand and he almost got his breath knocked out of his lungs when Taemin was the one who hugged him first. His hands froze at Taemin’s sides for a moment before he wrapped them the around the younger, affection making his heart light yet suspicion gaining an edge in his mind when he saw the tinge of mischief on Minho’s grin.

“You were so impressive, Hyung,” Taemin said, smile lightning up his face, curving his eyes into crescents, and making him brighter than any illumination the stage could provide. Pride burst within Jonghyun’s chest. Faintly, he felt his eyes heating up and oh no, not again.

“Thank you,” he answered, somehow managing to keep his voice completely even.

After Minho greeted Hyemi, it was his turn to envelop Jonghyun in that tight bear hug of his. He rested his chin on Jonghyun’s shoulder and even though Jonghyun couldn’t see his face, he knew Minho was grinning with his eyes closed. “Thank you so much for the birthday surprise. It was so sweet.”

“You’re welcome,” Jonghyun choked out, cursing himself when he heard how watery it sounded. Taemin’s smile morphed into an amused one.

Minho’s chest rumbled when he chuckled. “You make a good arm rest, though.”

“Hey!” Jonghyun protested, playfully shoving Minho’s shoulder as the younger loosened his hold. Before he turned his head up to prevent further tears from leaking out, he briefly saw that both of his juniors were sporting matching grins. Those little s.

“Do you need tissue?” Minho asked. He reached for his pocket, but Jonghyun quickly shook his head.

“No, no. It’s okay,” he said, wiping away the liquids gathered on his eyelids with the back of his hand. Minho handed him the tissue anyway, and Taemin stepped closer to him, reassuring him with his presence. Those actions made Jonghyun want to cry even more.

“How about you ask what Taemin-ah think about your surprise for him?” Minho suggested. There’s a secret on his lips, a secret in the way Taemin’s mouth opened and closed for several times before whatever he was holding in trickled out in the form of the tenderness softening his gaze. It made Jonghyun’s heart skip a beat, this secret shared between the three, whispered to one another using ways only each other could see.

“Well then, Taemin-goon, what do you think about the surprise I and Hyemi-ssi especially prepared for you?” Jonghyun asked, using his emcee voice. Minho snickered.

Taemin turned towards Hyemi and bowed respectfully. “Thank you, Hyemi-noona. You’ve worked hard.” Minho’s laugh boomed.

Hyemi bowed back and answered, “You’re welcome, Taemin-ssi.” Jonghyun’s eyes went wide and he gaped. It only attracted giggles from both parties involved in the teasing.

Jonghyun pressed his lips together tightly and folded his arms, exaggerating his annoyance. Apparently, Taemin took that as bait. “You see, Hyung, this is why I have so many materials to tease you with on the stage.”

“You just love exposing me,” Jonghyun grumbled.

“You sure don’t have a problem exposing yourself earlier,” Taemin teased. Jonghyun was about to retort, but whatever comeback he had prepared stuck in his throat when he saw the flash of heat in Taemin’s eyes.

Oh.

“That was... for the fans.” The answer sounded weak, even to Jonghyun’s own ears.

“Okay!” Minho exclaimed while clapping his hands together, yanking away Jonghyun and Taemin from the little world they unconsciously had built and almost making them jump out of their skins. “I’m gonna let you guys to your own devices for a while to go and get Taeyeon-noona. How about you, Noona?” Jonghyun was stuck between being thankful for Minho’s perceptiveness or cringe at his utter lack of subtlety.

“I’ll be going to the dressing room,” Hyemi answered, a knowing glint in her eyes and Jonghyun realized that the secret might not have been only between the three of them, after all. He wasn’t alarmed—the important part of their companionship such as trust and understanding had always been built without words.

“See you guys later, then,” Minho said. He bowed towards Hyemi before departing with a wave and a huge, stupid grin. Hyemi did the same thing, only with a small smile that spoke louder than any verbal saying could have.

Taemin tensed. “She knows?” he whispered to Jonghyun.

Jonghyun caressed the top of Taemin’s head soothingly. “Most likely. Don’t worry, Taeminnie, we can trust her.”

Taemin looked at Jonghyun, and this time he didn’t repress the smouldering want in his dark eyes. The hallway was empty. There was a supply closet located conveniently near them.

The weight of the situation sunk in. It set Jonghyun’s nerves ablaze.

Taemin wrapped his fingers around Jonghyun’s wrist, and Jonghyun was all-too-happy to let himself be led into the supply room. Anticipation pounded inside Jonghyun’s chest. His stomach twisted when the click of the door resounded, he unconsciously held his breath when Taemin dropped his cap to the floor, and all that tension was finally relieved when Taemin pressed his lips against his.

Jonghyun’s hand automatically went to grab Taemin’s hair while the younger crowded Jonghyun further against the wall, and Jonghyun let him. Let him take everything he wanted with his teeth, tongue, lips; let him steal Jonghyun’s air right from his lungs; let him overwhelm Jonghyun’s senses with his entire self until he was the only one Jonghyun was and would be desperate for.

Jonghyun let him; because this was Lee Taemin and Jonghyun loved him.

When they parted, a functional part of Jonghyun’s brain wondered if his lips were as swollen as Taemin’s own, if that was the reason Taemin still had his eyes on them.

“So,” Jonghyun started, when he got his breath under some resemblance of control, “was that the answer for me doing “Move” or...?”

“‘Or’?” Taemin asked playfully. “Guess it’s a little bit of both. Jonghyun,” Taemin said, staring right into Jonghyun’s eyes with unadulterated admiration that reminded Jonghyun of their early days, when he had relentlessly strained his throat to perfect his singing and Taemin had kept watching him closely, “you were amazing up there. I’m really proud of you.”

Jonghyun flushed, yet he couldn’t help but feel helplessly giddy. “Geez, Taeminnie, have you seen yourself on stage?”

Taemin caught the implication and he ducked his head a bit. His embarrassment was endearing, especially considering what he had been up to a few moments prior. “Yeah, but it’s different.”

“How’s so? Taemin, you’re equally as amazing,” Jonghyun said earnestly. He grabbed Taemin’s hand that had been caressing his cheek and interlaced their fingers together.

“I want to create a performance together with the fans as one, like you did.” Time might have moved on and things had changed, but the hard steel of Taemin’s determination stayed the same, Jonghyun thought. “Anyway, was “Move” supposed to look that cute?” the younger asked with mock offence.

Jonghyun curled his lips into a sweet smile, similar to the one he wore when he had lain down on the stage while swinging his legs back and forth. “That kind of “Move” suits the song, though, right?”

Instead of answering, Taemin captured his lips in another heavy kiss that teetered Jonghyun on the edge of becoming light-headed. That was how Jonghyun knew he had succeeded replicating the images of his antics during his "Like You" performance into Taemin's head and how much it affected the younger.

“If you claim yourself to be the president of my fan club, you should dance “Move” properly someday,” Taemin said. The combination of his low voice and hooded eyes—far more sensual than the one on stage—made Jonghyun shiver.

It was unfair that Taemin was more lethal when disheveled.

“Later,” Jonghyun said. His brain wasn’t the one doing the entirety of the talking, but he didn’t mind.

Taemin’s eyes grew wide. “Later?”

Jonghyun couldn’t fathom how he found Taemin’s silly dumbfounded face to be adorable, so he blamed it on his affection for the younger. “Yeah, later,” he repeated, and sealed the promise with a kiss.